17 May GS 2001 art 76

GS 2001 Article 76 – Appeal Lynden re: Article 51 IV.B.(p.43) Acts Synod Fergus

Committee 1 presented its proposal on the appeal of the Church at Lynden re: Article 51 IV.B.(p.43) Acts Synod Fergus. Synod adopted the following:

1. Material

Appeal from the Church at Lynden, Wash. against art.51.IV.B (p.43) Acts Synod Fergus 1998.

2. Admissibility

This appeal is declared admissible since it interacts with a decision of Synod Fergus 1998.

3. Observations

• 3.1. The Church at Lynden complains that Synod stated that in “the RCUS the Lord’s supper is not fenced in a manner that is compatible with our Reformed understanding of what the Bible requires on this point.”
• 3.2. The Church at Lynden considers that Synod is making “our Reformed understanding of what the Bible requires” the standard by which the RCUS is to be judged and to which the RCUS is to measure up.  “Incompatibility” with “our Reformed understanding of what the Bible requires” is judged to be unacceptable.
• 3.3. The Church at Lynden requests Synod “to judge that Synod 1998 was not clear as to the normative standard by which a church is to be measured in respect to the fencing of the Lord’s table. Synod 1998 may not judge other churches in the matter of fencing the Lord’s table apart from the normative standard which we acknowledge.”

4. Considerations

• 4.1. The criteria for judging doctrine and practice may only be Scripture, Confessions and Church Order.
• 4.2. The impression left by Synod Fergus 1998 is that “our” Reformed understanding of what the Bible requires might be something other than what Scripture and Confessions actually require.

5. Recommendation

Synod decide that Synod Fergus 1998 was not clear as to the normative standard by which a church is to be measured in respect to the fencing of the

Lord’s table when it introduced the terminology “our Reformed understanding.”